Polyketone polymers are generally known in the art. Of particular interest among polyketone polymers is the class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon. This particular class of polyketone polymers is disclosed and claimed in numerous patents assigned to Shell Oil Company.
It is known that these polyketone polymers are sometimes difficult to process. This processing difficulty may be manifested in terms of inadequate ultraviolet (UV), melt stability, and heat aging stability properties of the resulting polymer. It has been suggested that the deficient melt stability property is caused by the undesirable tendency of the polymer to crosslink, especially at melt processing temperatures. This causes the melt flow index of the resin to decrease with time at temperatures above melting (viscosity increases). "Plate-out" of crosslinked resins on screws, melt pipes and dies can also be observed. Various attempts to solve this problem have been made with some degree of success.
In spite of the progress that have been achieved towards melt stabilizing polyketones, further improvement of melt stability is desired. Therefore, there continues to be a need and/or search for materials that can effectively melt stabilize polyketones.